# Taste descriptions !!!!!!



## wallyevs012 (Apr 3, 2008)

I can't define the characteristics of taste: Toasty, creamy, buttery, earthy, vanillaish, Carmelly, Silky, herbal, spice, peppery, etc, etc, etc.


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## sanfrantreat (Jan 12, 2008)

your not the only one, for me its either good or not good


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## roarknumber1 (Feb 7, 2008)

wallyevs012 said:


> I can't define the characteristics of taste: Toasty, creamy, buttery, earthy, vanillaish, Carmelly, Silky, herbal, spice, peppery, etc, etc, etc.


Try here.

kidding


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## hotreds (Dec 4, 2007)

I'd have to agree that I have yet to taste cherry or nutmeg or almond or or or in my cigars. Indeed, I grade them on aroma, taste(good or bad!), and construction. Yet many(?) BOTLs here seem to be able to discern those subtle nuances of flavor. More power to them! Maybe someday.......


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## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

The more you smoke the more you will be able to detect flavors, maybe. The nose exhale is very important for this. It's different for everybody. I could pick out flavors from my first cigar. I think I have a pretty good taster but I have had alot of experience tasting. (I'm fat )


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## Mullet (Oct 22, 2007)

with every cigar I smoke, I tend to get a better appreciation for flavors. The trick is knowing what to look for. The flavors are not in your face either, they are subtle flavors. If you're drinking an extremely cold drink while smoking a cigar that tends to really make it difficult to discern flavors in my experience. Also, you just have to think past the tobacco and smoke flavor. Of course tobacco is the strongest flavor in a cigar, but there are definitely distinctions to be made about the other flavors. 

If you don't nose-exhale then you're missing out on what makes some cigars 10x better than others.


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

See if this thread helps out. It was a blind taste test that provided a lot of insight.

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=138189&highlight=wayne+blind



wallyevs012 said:


> I can't define the characteristics of taste: Toasty, creamy, buttery, earthy, vanillaish, Carmelly, Silky, herbal, spice, peppery, etc, etc, etc.


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## jdreynss (Mar 11, 2008)

I can notice flavors much better now than when I first started smoking.... but I still can't pick out flavors like some can


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## cab28 (Feb 24, 2008)

The 1st cigar I could detect flavers in was a macanudo gold label. It helps me to inhale thru my mouth then exhale out my nose AFTER I've exhaled the smoke. I've suggested it to fellow noobs at work and it worked for them also.


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## Fortune500 (Jan 22, 2008)

I've been working a bit on developing my palate a bit. What works for me, I think, is trying cigars that someone else has done a review on, and trying to follow along with the reviewer, and see if I can pick out the same tastes as they do. This kind of gives you at least an IDEA of what to look for. It's worth a shot.


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## sikk50 (Feb 14, 2008)

I still can't either, but the last few sticks I've had, that was my main focus. I feel like I'm beginning to get more "taste" from them, but I have yet to be able to pick out flavors


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## SR Mike (Feb 4, 2008)

A few tips that may help from my own experience, if you are really interested in developing a palate for specifics.

Keep notes. Write down everything that the cigar you are smoking provides you with. Note the burn, the amount of smoke, construction burn time, flavors, tobacco scent before lighting, aroma and etc.

Two flavor are the most common with cigars are coffee and cocoa. Coffee is easier to pick out with natural cigars and cocoa with maduros. Concentrate on those flavors when you smoke. Smell some fresh coffee or chocolate while you smoke. This will help you discern flavors. When you taste any of these two flavors, write it down.

Once you have a good handle on these flavors, while you are smoking the cigar will give you something new, try to describe what you are tasting, it could be anise (like root beer), tang (like citrus), nutty (try almonds, walnuts, sunflower seed, peanuts, etc.).

Smoke one cigar with different drinks; different sodas, coffees, hot chocolate, alcohol (if you like), water. With the different flavors washing your mouth out, each puff will give you a new flavor profile to try and figure out.

Next thing you know, you will be eating a particular food, drink, or working with a seasoning and it will hit you what that flavor was you could not figure out. it takes time and patience, I found even smoking the same cigar with others helps too. Find those online audio or videos of cigar smokers and virtually herf with them. 

I did this for months until I was comfortable enough to put it together in a blog of my own (clicky by my signature). I still keep notes while I smoke new cigars or want to review one, and I find it enjoyable when I am smoking alone, it keeps my mind busy at the same time.

Good luck and long ashes!!


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## demiurgic (Feb 18, 2008)

Same here, but I am a newbie in this hobby. So far, some cigars make my pallette go numb, and tasteless or a while after. Learning not to chief the thing so much.


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## tazziedevil (Sep 8, 2005)

I've been smoking for awhile, and I still can't taste most of the flavors some people describe. I'm not too worried about it. They mostly taste like tobacco to me, which isn't a bad thing.


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## tsolomon (Feb 23, 2008)

I really have to focus on the cigar and think about what I'm tasting to really find some of the flavors or aromas most people attribute to certain cigars. It's fun to sit there and try to match the taste of what you're smoking with all those descriptive terms you have heard about. Since I joined CS, I have smoked a number of different cigars and I'm only starting to really pick up on the differences between them. I have also found that different beverages can improve the cigar I'm smoking when my tastebuds stop working halfway through a good smoke.


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## wayner123 (Mar 29, 2007)

Volt said:


> See if this thread helps out. It was a blind taste test that provided a lot of insight.
> 
> http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=138189&highlight=wayne+blind


Hey,

The above is a very good starting point and should prove to be very helpful for what you are trying to accomplish. Most of it comes down to the point of one not having the correct mental link established.

Out of the flavors the OP listed, how many of those do you eat regularlly? If only a couple or none, then you would have trouble detecting those flavors in a cigar. You need to create the link in your brain to the taste you want. The above link shows how to do this.


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks again Wayne for letting me participate. I think at this point I detect more flavors than before, but getting a name to them is still a work in progress.


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## wayner123 (Mar 29, 2007)

Volt said:


> Thanks again Wayne for letting me participate. I think at this point I detect more flavors than before, but getting a name to them is still a work in progress.


Then you need to go to the flavor wheel and use the method of thinking of something silly when visualizing that flavor. If you truly do that, it is hard to forget that link if even if you wanted to.


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## goatfarmer (Feb 24, 2008)

Wow, I am not alone, I have a hell of a time writting a review. I can be setting among a group of other cigar enthusiast smoking the same cigar as they describe the various flavors they experience, if anyone were to ask me I can only tell them whether the cigar is good or bad. Been smoking cigars for some time and only recently started to appreciate them and focus on the cigars aroma, flavors, and contruction; but for now, the cigar's characteristics are either 'good or bad'.:ss


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## romwarrior (Jan 16, 2008)

cab28 said:


> It helps me to inhale thru my mouth then exhale out my nose AFTER I've exhaled the smoke.


:tpd:


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## JayBird (Mar 10, 2006)

r-ice said:


> your not the only one, for me its either good or not good


Same here, I either like it or I don't.


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## hotreds (Dec 4, 2007)

You know, that brings to mind my trying to smoke a pipe years ago because I loved the smell of some of the tobaccos. Alas, the only taste I could detect WAS tobacco- the taste was not nearly as good as the aroma I had smelled! So I just quit in disgust! This was about 30 years ago, never cared to try again, now am happy with my cigars even tho I can't taste all the special flavors some do.


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## jaycarla (Jun 10, 2007)

I too was worried about not getting all the flavor out of a cigar. I am now almost 1 year into smoking and I can say this for a fact. In my last 2 months I have been able to pick up more and more of the flavors.

Part of it I think is changing up smoking styles. Another is pairing with different beverages and not getting stuck with my faves.

I could ramble on here forever. Get excited talking about it!

Bottom line for the smoker that is just starting out, it will get better and better. It is still almost overwhelming to know that it will continue to get better as I continue on this ride.:tu


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## bobarian (Oct 1, 2007)

This is a good way to try to focus your palette. It really opened my eyes. :tu
http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=109223


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## sikk50 (Feb 14, 2008)

So tonite I had a Florde Marquez. First time I have ever been able to pick out a flavor very clearly. It was grassy and couldn't be ignored with how prominet it was


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## Chico57 (Nov 12, 2007)

r-ice said:


> your not the only one, for me its either good or not good


Glad to see it's not just me. There was one exception though, I was smoking a LGD about a month ago and picked up on hints of cherry. I thought it was a fluke but the flavor stayed for about half of the cigar.
Boy did I get excited!:chk Unfortunatly that experience has not happened since.


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## Tredegar (Nov 27, 2007)

I just had a Taboo (my first) this morning and the only taste I could come up with was wet paper towel.


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## cbsmokin (Oct 10, 2007)

r-ice said:


> your not the only one, for me its either good or not good


I'm not sure I even have that down yet. :ss


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## pbrennan10 (Apr 9, 2007)

wallyevs012 said:


> I can't define the characteristics of taste


Ha Ha Ha

You silly peasant.


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## Donatom3 (Mar 27, 2008)

Smoking cigars, seems to be very similar to my early wine drinking experience. Early on I could only tell if a wine was good or bad. Then as time went on and I had experienced more wines, I could more accurately tell how good or bad a wine was. (It helps when your dad owns a restaurant, and he takes you with him to wine tastings). After being able to descern how good or bad it was I started focusing on picking out specific flavors. Like the type of wood the wine was aged in, what other fruit flavors that were in the wine and so forth. I had my dad there to point me in the direction of the flavors I should be picking up, and of course it helps when you know what foods to pair with the wine. After a while I was able to start picking out flavors on my own, and really started enjoying wine even more. What I can say is that developing a pallette takes time. I think some great suggestions were made in this thread, such as reading reviews of a particular cigar just before trying it to see if you can pick out those flavors, taking notes of what you can pick up, and just keep at it.


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## AsetOne (Feb 29, 2008)

Ok time to add my :2(bear with me haha)
IMO developing your palatte and being able to define certain flavours in a cigar is something that comes only with time (cliched i know) your palatte is ALWAYS developing, and you will ALWAYS be learning new tastes.

The more smokes you try, the more you will be able to taste the differences between them.

I think as long as you can define whether or not you
a. like the smoke
b. like the smoke, but not enough to buy it again
c. do not like it

then you are well on your way. 

Some good tips have been posted already by other guys on here, especially, modulating your exhale through your nose, and exhaling again through your nose after you have finished blowing out the smoke.

In many smokes i have tried i have not been able to describe the flavour straight away, but then a few seconds later it hits me, 'Almonds!'

Eating different foods, Drinking different alcohols, coffees etc also help greatly here IMO, question, if you like to drink scotch, what do you taste when you drink, say macallan, besides scotch? 
Some scotches are 'sharp (read: pronounced)' in their flavour characteristics, some are 'smooth (read: Subtle)' this has nothing to do with the amount of 'burn' you get from the liquor. i find some cigars are also this way.

I also find fuller bodied smokes easier to discern flavours over milder cigars, though i am sure many gorillas would be willing to dispute that point, but again that is just me.

I hope this makes sense, and maybe (and its a big maybe) even helps some.

James


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## D. Generate (Jul 1, 2004)

The more cigars I smoke, the better at tasting them I become. 

One thing that can help is trying to identify aromas/flavours in actuality. Raid your wife's spices; smell them and taste a pinch of each.


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